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Explaining The Difficult Balance in Sports Reporting That the Public Never Considers

John Lund
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Explaining The Difficult Balance in Sports Reporting That the Public Never Considers

The Kyle Shanahan reporting controversy became a much bigger sports story than the accident itself. Not because of the crash, but because it wasn’t reported for nearly two weeks. The conversation quickly shifted from what happened to who knew, when they knew and why nobody said anything.

If the head coach of one of the NFL’s flagship franchises is involved in an accident, should the public know? Should it have been reported sooner? If 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had been behind the wheel instead of Kyle Shanahan, does anyone believe that story would have stayed quiet for days? I don’t.

The standard must be the standard, whether you’re the franchise quarterback, the head coach or the last player on the roster.

While everyone else debated the Shanahan story, I found myself thinking about something entirely different.

Delicate Balance

After more than 30 years in sports media, I’ve learned the hardest part of this business isn’t getting information. It’s deciding what to do with it. Every reporter knows things the audience doesn’t. That’s the easy part. The difficult part isn’t deciding whether people want to know. It’s deciding whether they need to know.

Those aren’t always the same thing.

I’ve been fortunate enough to spend my career where most fans never get to go. I’ve flown on team charters, stayed in team hotels, covered Super Bowls and spent enough nights around professional sports teams that, eventually, the curtain gets pulled back. Athletes stop being superheroes. Coaches stop being larger than life. Executives stop sounding polished.

You simply see people, and people are messy. That’s also when you learn things the audience never will.

Over the years, I’ve seen players miss curfew, coaches blow off steam after ugly losses and executives behave in ways they’d never want repeated on the air. I’ve seen players with women who weren’t their wives on road trips, then watched those same players hug their families as they stepped off the charter flight the next afternoon.

Making A Choice

Every one of those moments would have made compelling talk radio. Today, every one becomes a viral post before lunch. None of them ever made one of my shows, not because I was protecting anyone, but because I never believed they were my stories to tell.

One experience has stayed with me because it reminded me how dangerous assumptions can be. During one Super Bowl week, I noticed several players outside the team hotel well after midnight the night before the game. My first reaction was probably the same as yours.

What are they doing? The next day after the game, I asked one of the players about it, and he laughed.

“We couldn’t sleep. The adrenaline was overwhelming. The coaches knew exactly where we were. We just went outside to walk.”

Imagine if I’d snapped a picture and posted it online with the caption: “Several players spotted outside the team hotel after midnight before the Super Bowl.”

Within an hour, television would’ve questioned their commitment. Sports talk radio would’ve debated their leadership. Social media would’ve convicted them before kickoff. Every one of those conclusions would’ve been wrong. The story wasn’t that they were outside. The story was why they were outside.

Context changed everything. That’s also why relationships still matter.

A Changing Expectation

Somewhere along the way, we’ve convinced ourselves that having relationships with players, coaches and executives means you’re compromised. I disagree.

Relationships aren’t about protecting people. They’re about protecting the truth and mean making one more phone call before you hit publish. They also mean asking one more question instead of assuming you already know the answer. The player outside that Super Bowl hotel changed the entire story because I asked instead of assumed.

Today’s media world doesn’t always reward that. Every platform rewards speed. Every algorithm rewards engagement and every viral post creates pressure to be first, louder and more provocative than the next person. We’ve become conditioned to fire from the hip. Report everything. Rip a player after every bad game. Question every coaching decision. Turn every disagreement into a controversy. Convict people in the court of public opinion before all the facts are in.

This isn’t A Few Good Men. Athletes, coaches and executives aren’t on trial. That’s why the Shanahan story resonated with me.

Yes, I believe it should have been reported much sooner. But it also reminded me how many stories never become public because someone decided they shouldn’t. Fans judge reporters by the stories they publish. They never see the ones that stay in a notebook because they don’t affect the game, the team or the public.

Those decisions don’t trend. They don’t generate clicks. Most of the time, nobody even knows they were made.

The Shanahan story should have been reported. I don’t think that’s much of a debate. Long after everyone forgets the details of Kyle Shanahan’s accident, another reporter will know something the public doesn’t. Another editor will have to decide. Another host will debate whether to go with it, and another insider will hover over the “send” button.

Every day, someone in this business faces the same choice.

To report or not report? That is the question.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

WMMS Radio Host Alan Cox on Succeeding in Afternoon Drive

Mike Stern
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WMMS Radio Host Alan Cox on Succeeding in Afternoon Drive

According to research recently released by Crowd React media, afternoon drive is on its way to becoming the most important daypart in radio. That’s great news for Alan Cox who has been hosting a personality-driven all-talk afternoon show at iHeartRadio Rock station WMMS/Cleveland for more than fifteen years. Indeed, if afternoon drive is taking over from mornings, Cox is more than ready for the spotlight.

Cox took over the slot from The Maxwell Show in 2009 when contract negotiations broke down. Moreover, what made the transition interesting was the difference in the two shows.

“My predecessor was really popular,” Cox says. “So, I stepped into a situation where many listeners were understandably upset.” His message to the audience was simple: his show would be different, “but I think you’re going to like it and have fun. And I guess they did, considering it’s been sixteen years.”

The Secret of His Success

Cox says the ratings took off fairly quickly, which he attributes partially to being a good fit for the market. “I’ve been on the air in a lot of places, but I still have that Midwestern sensibility. I’m a literate guy and I like to be a little more cerebral but not to the exclusion of people who like farts.”

Another key to his success is his approach to the show, which includes a great deal of preparation each day. “You’re never going to hear me say, ‘so what was I talking about.’ Whenever you punch into me there’s going to be something going on.”

In fact, he tries to be overprepared. “If the phones were down and the internet were down and everything was down, I would still be able to do a show, and it wouldn’t be fumbling for four hours. That’s what I want. That way everything else, like phone calls and voice memos, is just gravy.”

He says the show includes daily audio to make it sticky and short pieces he writes that the station’s production team assembles. “People figured out real fast that I was doing a show that moves pretty quick. Thus, I think that continues to serve me as attention spans have gotten shorter.”

In fact, the show is so well prepared there is a running joke with listeners that it’s completely scripted. Occasionally when Cox trips over his words, his co-host – and WMMS Program Director – Rob Anthony will ask “what page” meaning what page of the script is Cox on. “I’ll make up a number and then hit the music bed. Rob will say, ‘three, two, one’ and I’ll start over with the exact same thing I was saying as if we are picking up the script from that point.”

Learning From the Best

The urge to be overly prepared comes from studying at the knee of a Chicago radio legend, Jonathan Brandmeier. “Gary Shandling once said he never wanted another man’s approval more than Johnny Carson. That’s what Brandmeier was to me. His show just moved so fast and that’s not easy to do.”

Like many personalities from that era of radio, Brandmeier was notoriously tough to work for. He was famous for screaming at his staff and throwing carts at people. Nevertheless, none of that bothered Cox. “I worked at a hotel when I was barely old enough to see over the counter and they made me the manager because people would scream at me and I would just say ‘that’s fine, we’ll figure it out.’ Things like that never fazed me.”

What did catch Cox’s attention was how hard Brandmeier worked on his show every day. “I looked at the level he was at in his career and thought this must be what it takes. Now I’m never going to yell at people or throw things, but I did learn the value of the creativity and the very intentionally prepared content.”

Pulling Back from Politics

That ability to let criticism and conflict roll off his back has served him well during his career. “It’s not like I grew up in that environment. My parents were as nice and quiet as people could be. It’s probably from being heckled doing stand up.”

Regardless of why Cox isn’t bothered by criticism, it’s especially helpful when talking on his show about politics, which he used to do a lot more than he does today.

“I had to make a conscious effort to pull back because there were a couple years during the first Trump term when my soapbox was worn out,” Cox recalls. “I’ve never been quiet about being very progressive and there are plenty of people here who agree with me. But if you go off on that stuff, the people who agree with you already agree with you and that’s no fun. And the people who don’t agree with you won’t agree with you and that’s no fun either.”

Talking politics didn’t negatively impact the ratings, but Cox says he was uncomfortable with the direction of the show. “It felt weird to me. I knew I needed to recalibrate.”

The change in focus also helped him move away from what he felt everyone else in all forms of media was doing: arguing. “We were always told people love conflict, and that is true. However, when everyone in every format is arguing I would like people to come here and find that we’re just goofing around.”

It also helped to have Anthony join the show as his co-host. “I love bantering with him. He’s an easy laugher. And I also like to joke that I’ve always been kind of curmudgeonly, but he makes me sound downright delightful.”

The current iteration of the show also includes Jess Hutchinson who serves as phone screener and participates in the show. “Jess is a direct contrast to the females I’ve had in the past,” Cox says. “She’s probably the least stereotypically female person I’ve had in that role, and her brain goes in really weird ways that we can’t figure out.”

More Attitude, Less Family

While he’s not afraid to take on controversial topics like politics, one area Cox does temper is how much of his family and life experiences come to the show. “We’ll talk about our lives, but I don’t lean super heavily on that. Our spouses didn’t get into this business. And I’m not talking about how ‘my kid did the funniest thing today’ because nobody cares. They are my family, not fodder.”

Instead, he relies on having a unique attitude that sets the show apart. “I normally have a different view of things than a lot of other people do because I’m not particularly sentimental or especially nostalgic. In fact, if I’m anything I’m pragmatic to a fault.”

But to be clear, Cox says he’s not trying to shock the audience with his viewpoint. For example, a caller complained recently that he was talking too much about diarrhea. “I thought wow any other week you could probably knock me for that but right now it’s a national outbreak. Even CNN is saying diarrhea with some frequency.”

Dealing with Complaints

Other times when he does get complaints, Cox says he prefers not to argue. Instead, he likes to use people’s own words against them. For instance, he still occasionally gets callers who prefer his former co-hosts Bill Squire and Mary Santora. “People will say the show’s just not the same without them, and I’ll say you are correct; it is literally not the same.”

Cox also chooses not to argue with people on social media because he sees it as a waste of energy. “Instead, I’ll screenshot people’s nasty comments and respond with a pithy joke. Then I’ll post that and let the audience have fun with it.”

That wasn’t always his approach, though. “Earlier in my career, when I was a lot more insecure, I had a much more adversarial relationship with the audience because they were being critical and I was worried they were right. But I’ve put enough time in that they can’t say anything that’s going to bother me.”

Instead, he just wants people to enjoy his approach to doing a show. “This is my show; it has my name on it. I want to be silly, but also to convey that this is my job not my hobby,” Cox says. “I want people to have a good time but also hopefully know a lot of work goes into it. They don’t have to know how the sausage is made but hopefully they hear the effort when they tune in.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Can The Wall Street Journal Challenge The New York Times in the Podcasting Race?

Garrett Searight
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Can The Wall Street Journal Challenge The New York Times in the Podcasting Race?

The Wall Street Journal just made a move that should catch the attention of every outlet chasing eyeballs and eardrums in the digital media race. The publication has tapped Samantha Henig to lead its expansion into podcasting and video, and the hire says a lot about how seriously the outlet is taking this next chapter of its business.

Henig isn’t a name plucked out of nowhere. She was on the ground floor of The New York Times’ audio team, serving as the outlet’s first hire in a division that has grown into one of the strongest podcast publishers in the game. That’s not hyperbole, either. The Daily is routinely one of the top shows in the country, regardless of genre, and it didn’t get there by accident.

Meanwhile, other New York Times alums have carried that momentum forward. Ezra Klein and Ross Douthat, before leaving to join 60 Minutes earlier this week, saw their profiles grow substantially in the audio space. Both built loyal followings through thoughtful, well-produced conversations, and both proved that opinion journalism translates well to a microphone. So the question now becomes obvious: can The Wall Street Journal replicate that same kind of success?

Why This Race Matters

It’ll be fascinating to watch this play out, and the stakes are higher than they might first appear. Consumption habits have shifted dramatically toward short-form video and podcasts, and that shift shows no signs of slowing down. Study after study and survey after survey confirm that these numbers are only increasing. Consequently, any publication hoping to stay relevant needs a real strategy here, not just a token presence.

The Wall Street Journal already has some solid footing in both spaces, which makes this hire feel less like an experiment and more like an escalation. Gunjan Banerji produces a spectacular series for the publication with The Money Interview, and it’s become appointment listening for people who follow markets closely. Additionally, The Journal podcast is one of the best in the medium, consistently delivering sharp storytelling on complex financial and political topics.

Specifically, the Camp Swamp Road series from The Journal that was released late last year was especially outstanding. It combined narrative depth with the kind of reporting rigor readers expect from the brand, and it proved the team could stretch beyond daily news hits into something more ambitious. Honig now inherits that foundation, along with the challenge of scaling it further.

Game On

I say all of that to say, it seems clear that The Wall Street Journal is especially serious about competing in this space. Hiring someone who helped build The New York Times’ audio operation from scratch isn’t a passive move. It’s a direct signal that leadership wants results, and it’s a signal that leadership understands what’s at stake.

Therefore, the real test will come in execution. Building a hit show requires more than talent behind the scenes; it requires patience, resources, and a willingness to experiment before finding a format that clicks. The Daily didn’t become a juggernaut overnight, and The Wall Street Journal’s next big audio bet likely won’t either. Still, the ingredients are there, and the ambition is obvious.

Game on. More content like this is better for everyone, whether you’re a listener, a viewer, or someone who simply cares about strong journalism finding new ways to reach people. Competition tends to raise the bar across an entire industry, and if The Wall Street Journal pushes The New York Times to keep innovating, audiences win either way. It’ll be worth watching closely in the months ahead.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Rock Radio Summer Camp

Keith Cunningham
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Rock Radio Summer Camp

Welcome to RockTernative Summer Camp — the only camp with no curfew, free earplugs, and kick ass music at the lake each night.

You remember Summer Camp. It’s the perfect metaphor for what most brands should be doing between now and Labor Day.

Parents shipped off kids to camp. A few weeks later, they came home knowing how to make fire, tie knots, and canoe. Additionally, they returned with a lifelong crush on a counselor way too old for them. All in the name of gaining skills and building confidence for next year.

Radio knows what “next year” means. It means “Fall” — about 30 days away. So perhaps RockTernative needs a Summer Camp of its own. It would probably go something like this.

Lesson #1: Making Fire

If you’re stranded on an island, fire keeps you alive. It cooks food, purifies water, signals planes, and keeps wild animals away. However, fire doesn’t just happen. It must be built and managed with care.

In radio, fire equals the product and people.

  • Wood = leadership + team
  • Spark = on-air talent + music
  • Oxygen = strategy
  • Care = Camp Counselor PDs stoking the fire

There’s no fire without each element. What kind of fire is your brand running? A towering inferno or a sad pile of twigs?

If leaders aren’t leading with clarity, then the music isn’t right. If talent isn’t perfectly cast and sellers don’t have meaningful avails — the fire isn’t ready. It’ll fizzle by Halloween. So you need to self-reflect and adjust now. You’ve got 30 days.

Lesson #2: Build Shelter

Fire is great, but it won’t protect you from Fall. You need shelter. Not a flimsy promo tent, but a command center where real product and strategy work gets done before the season hits.

The cabin represents home base. It’s a safe structure with specific focus rooms where critical development work happens before Fall.

  • Morning Room: new storylines + benchmarks are built
  • Social Room: new digital extensions shaped
  • Garage: experimentation + strategy collide
  • Backyard: community + appearances take form
  • Kitchen: programming + revenue cooked into a strategy

A strong cabin where important work can be done is your competitive advantage.

Lesson #3: Survival & Safety

Campers are given a map. Survival requires knowing the terrain. Moreover, you need to know where to hunt, which areas to avoid, and what weapons you’ll need.

At camp, survival and safety equal research. So you’ll know:

  • What’s happening across the island
  • Where the audience is hiding
  • Which competitors are circling
  • What tools or weapons you need to stay alive
  • Which paths are dangerous

Even simple listener groups or web polls reveal what’s connecting. They show what listeners want more or less of, when they listen most and least, and why they choose or skip your brand.

Wandering blindly into Fall is dangerous. Just ask the kid who came back with poison ivy.

Lesson #4: Skills & Drills

Every camp has skill-building activities. Think archery, knot-tying, and three-legged races that bust ankles.

Even the best brands should put in practical work heading into Fall:

  • Audit everything
  • Recruit and audition potential new talent
  • Binge core artists for lost hits
  • Deep dive the audience
  • Study competitor movements

Summer Camp is a timely visual. Furthermore, this is legit to-do stuff starting Monday.

Lesson #5: Community

Kids at camp never stay indoors. They’re out meeting, bonding, singing cheesy songs, and developing a new crush every night over roasted marshmallows.

That same energy can make the difference at RockTernative. Especially since seeing external radio marketing is about as common as spotting Bigfoot. Community presence may be the only marketing a brand gets this year — but it’s still how new listeners can discover your brand.

  • Park takeovers
  • Backyard parties
  • Lake days
  • Lemonade stands (yes, I said it)
  • Club appearances
  • Sidewalk sessions
  • Tailgates

Get out and start growing your tribe before Fall.

Lesson #6: Cleanup

No one likes camp chores. However, they build discipline — cleaning cabins, clearing trails, fixing gear, and scraping gum off dining hall tables.

Radio needs the same discipline:

  • Tighten databases
  • Groom categories, audit rotations
  • Freshen clocks
  • Refresh imaging
  • Update street team assets
  • Sharpen one sheets
  • Clean the studio (yes, for real)

Fall will reward stations that feel new, clean, and alive.

Lesson #7: The Take Home Bag

Summer Camp ends and kids head home. They’ve gained new skills, confidence, and stories. Additionally, some return with a busted ankle.

But when RockTernative Summer Camp ends, brands head into Fall with:

  • A blazing fire
  • A stronger cabin
  • A fresh playbook
  • A mapped strategy
  • A bigger community
  • An alive vibe

Fall is coming fast. Waiting until Labor Day is too late.

Follow the RockTernative Summer Camp curriculum. You’ll avoid poison ivy and be ready to rock.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Can CBS News and CNN Survive a Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery Merger?

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
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Can CBS News and CNN Survive a Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery Merger?

Sometimes you have to let things die, and from death new life will come forth. This is eminently true for the happenings at CBS, including the Paramount deal and the death of CBS News Radio. As the famous refrain from Frozen puts it, sometimes you just have to let go and stop holding it back.

But first, a brief history lesson: RKO was one of the “Big Five” studios in the golden age of Hollywood.

It produced some of the greatest movies, like Citizen Kane, King Kong, and my personal favorite film, It’s a Wonderful Life. They signed the biggest artists, whom we still talk about well after their passing, including Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, and Katharine Hepburn (the latter of whom we all need to thank for the Bluetooth technology we use today).

RKO folded in 1958. In January of that year, 83% of American households had a TV — a huge industry shift that RKO did not keep up with. The company also faced financial strain; it carried an insurmountable amount of debt and was bought and sold multiple times between 1955 and its closure in 1958.

United Artists, founded by Charlie Chaplin, went through similar problems in the 1980s until it was dissolved in 2011 and folded into MGM.

These changing conditions are similar to what we are all facing and often talk about now. The way we connect with audiences is changing. Many outlets are financially strained and are attempting to find a path forward. CBS’s path forward is most clearly the same as RKO’s: to be dissolved into memory for its great moments while shying away from the embarrassing ones.

CBS’s Ratings Freefall

Turn away and slam the door on the way out, CBS — your numbers are in the toilet. During the week of July 13, CBS was the only national network to lose viewers, and it also failed to hit 500,000 viewers in the 25-54 age range for its flagship evening news program, the only national network to fall short there.

This is a downward trend that extends far beyond the introduction of Bari Weiss to the network. We’re just not that into you, CBS. It’s time to go.

The Paramount-WBD Merger Math

This Paramount/CBS merger with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) would bring both CNN and CBS under the same parent company. Two news networks are facing floundering ratings and blatant bias, and both are in desperate need of a complete makeover or closure.

Ignoring the fact that this merger would give Paramount and WBD an entertainment market share greater than Disney’s, and speaking strictly about the underperforming news outlets, you have to wonder if they could keep both CNN and CBS afloat. Is it too expensive?

It is also clear neither company wants to be the one to shutter the doors of a once-great media giant. However, the industry is too saturated, and there is not enough market share to go around. So, you could argue, one of them has to go. You are voted off the island. The tribe has spoken.

I don’t like this deal for a whole host of reasons and think it should be kicked to the curb. But again, speaking strictly about the news organizations being affected, if the merger happens, one (likely CNN) would probably be folded into the other (CBS). If this lawsuit succeeds and the merger doesn’t happen, at least one, if not both, of these outlets will not be around in the next five to ten years, in my view. And honestly, I’m not sure which option is better for the news industry. But I do know that with the technology we have, something good will come from the impending failures of CBS or CNN.

Let It Go — And Let Something Better Emerge

Either way, jobs are going to be lost. So the worker bees of the news industry need to let it go and find a new path forward — one that can and will likely be better than working at CBS or CNN.

Now let me be clear: I never like hearing that people are losing their jobs, that news outlets are closing, and/or that news deserts are becoming more prevalent. However, it is an unfortunate part of publicly traded companies — shareholders need to see returns, and those returns often come at our expense (aka our jobs).

Something Better Is Already Filling the Void

As I said in my May column, the death of CBS News Radio opens up new doors for the industry as a whole. There is a vacuum to fill, and ABC News Radio, Fox News Radio, and now the Worldwide News Network, among others, are all trying to fill it.

In fact, I’d find it hard to believe the powers that be at WNN would have started a 24-hour news radio network if CBS News Radio hadn’t closed. The same could be said if CBS News dies off — something bigger, better, and more beautiful could be ahead. You just have to let it happen. You just have to keep looking forward. Don’t become a pillar of salt by looking back at what was.

Independent journalism is on the rise. Consumers no longer need the CBS gatekeepers to tell us what is news and what is not. So if you are working at CBS or CNN, getting those awkward pro-merger emails that have been going around (I’ve seen them), and feeling skeptical that your job will survive if the deal happens, don’t panic. Don’t stress. Don’t worry. Be happy. Because we are watching in real time how this industry is changing, and what’s on the other side will be better than what CBS or CNN could ever offer you.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

From EP to Co-Host: Trevor Marden’s Journey on Q104.3

Bethany Kent
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From EP to Co-Host: Trevor Marden’s Journey on Q104.3

Trevor Marden didn’t plan on becoming a morning show co-host. He planned on being a great producer. Then COVID hit, and everything sped up. Marden joined the “Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show” on Q104.3 as executive producer about a week before the pandemic shut everything down. What should have been a slow, years-long process of building trust with Jim Kerr instead happened almost overnight.

“The trust that normally takes years for a host and producer to build had to happen almost immediately,” Marden said. Suddenly Kerr needed him to run the board remotely and feed him information over an iPad, live, with no room for error. Marden and Kerr had to talk constantly on-air just to keep the show running. That forced closeness pushed Marden’s personality into the show years before anyone expected it to happen.

Six years later, that same trust helped carry the show into its next chapter. This March, iHeartMedia promoted Marden and Christin Marks to co-host alongside Kerr, adding fresh voices to New York’s longest-running morning show. Marden now heads to Cleveland this week for TalentMasters’ 38th Annual MSBC, where he’ll join Woody, Anna Zap and Karson Tager on a panel about building shows that last, moderated by Angela Perelli.

A Front-Row Seat to How Trust Gets Built

Marden’s path to the mic ran almost entirely through the studio, not around it. He spent his career as an in-studio producer, watching every call get made in real time rather than listening from another room.

“That gave me a front-row seat to how a great morning show operates,” he said, “but more importantly, how it earns and keeps the audience’s trust day after day.”

That education started even earlier, working alongside Scott Shannon. Marden calls him one of the best talent developers he’s ever been around, someone who can spot potential in people before they see it in themselves. Shannon kept a sign in the studio that stuck with Marden: “Preparation. Concentration. Moderation.”

Marden takes preparation seriously. He said he does enough prep for one show to fill eight, because he never knows where the next great bit will come from. Concentration means the outside world disappears once the mics go on. Moderation is the one he admits he’s still chasing — the instinct to push a joke too far or chase a laugh a little too hard.

“Scott tried to teach me that sometimes less is more,” Marden said. “I am the first one to admit this is a lesson I am still working on.”

Filling a Chair, Not a Legacy

Jim Kerr spent 49 years on-air with Shelli Sonstein before her retirement earlier this year. Marden never treated his new seat as a replacement for hers.

“That’s simply impossible,” he said. Sonstein could deliver music news, headlines, sports, weather and traffic in three minutes flat without ever overwhelming the listener, and her work with the FDNY, NYPD and the 9/11 community speaks for itself on its own.

So Marden approached the show differently. Jim and Shelli knew each other so well they could finish each other’s sentences. Marden’s job became asking the question nobody had asked yet, or steering a conversation somewhere new. He’s worked with Kerr for six years and still learns something about him almost daily.

The same philosophy applies to how he and Marks are introducing themselves to the audience — families, wins, disasters, all of it. “Listeners don’t just want to hear us,” Marden said. “They want to know us.” Kerr has always framed the audience as a friend, and Marden said that idea drives everything the show does.

The Persona Is Just Trevor

Before Q104.3, Marden worked under a different name entirely: Kermit the Wonderfrog. When he arrived at the station, Kerr told him to just be Trevor.

“I don’t play a role here,” Marden said. “You usually get genuine Trevor.” He’ll occasionally play devil’s advocate to surface another side of an argument, but he said 99 percent of what listeners hear is real. He’s happy to wear the “heavy-metal-loving suburban New Jersey dad” label Q104.3 program director Eric Wellman gave him, because it fits — and he hopes it resonates with listeners who see themselves the same way.

Defining Longevity Ahead of MSBC

Marden’s answer to what keeps a morning show alive for decades comes down to one idea: treat the listener like a friend.

“There may only be three people in the studio, but we always act like there are four,” he said. “The fourth chair belongs to the listener.” He said the goal is a backyard-hangout feeling, where the audience laughs along, disagrees, and shares its own stories rather than just listening in.

He also doesn’t think every show needs to chase everyone. “We’re not trying to make every single person love our show,” Marden said. “We’re focused on earning the trust of the people who choose to spend their mornings with us every day.”

Ahead of his MSBC panel, Marden said a “reply all” email thread among the panelists made clear just how many different philosophies exist on what makes a show last. Some responses he agreed with completely, others less so, and he said that’s the nature of the business. There’s no single formula, or every station in America would be number one. He’s looking forward to comparing notes with Woody, Anna Zap and Karson Tager, even knowing their approaches will differ from his own.

His advice for shows chasing longevity mirrors Shannon’s old sign: put in the work, and never act like you’re above the audience. “You should be punching up to them,” he said.

Who Else Deserves Credit

As has become tradition for my features, I asked Marden to turn the spotlight elsewhere for a moment and talk about talent he admires. He said, “radio has allowed me to travel the country, meet amazing people, and build friendships with talent I genuinely admire. I steal ideas from all of them.” His list included on-air talent like The Woody Show, Dave & Mahoney, The Joe Show in Tampa, The Daily Migs, Kira Kathleen on Y107, Cane at the Jersey Shore, Tamo in D.C., Battle in Nashville, and The Roula Show with Eric.

Behind the scenes, he singled out Kristen Accardi, executive producer of “Cubby & Christine” on 106.7 LITE FM. Accardi inherited an already-successful show and elevated it further, Marden said, calling her ideas creative, thoughtful and flawlessly executed. “She won’t be behind the scenes long.”

Radio’s Staying Power

Asked what gives him confidence in morning radio’s future, Marden kept it simple, borrowing a line plenty of artists have said before him: rock and roll will never die.

For anyone hoping to follow his path from behind the board to behind the mic, his advice is equally direct. Put in the work. Don’t be afraid. Learn from your mistakes, because there will be plenty of them. Marden said, “Be yourself and never second guess it.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

Sports Media Reacts: Columbus Blue Jackets Shifting TV Broadcasts to Simulcast on Radio

John Mamola
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Sports Media Reacts: Columbus Blue Jackets Shifting TV Broadcasts to Simulcast on Radio

The Columbus Blue Jackets will unify their television and radio game coverage next season. Moreover, fans will hear the same broadcast on both platforms beginning in 2026-27. Following the release of the news, sports media shares their reactions to the decision.

What We Know: The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that every game broadcast will be simulcast across television and radio starting with the 2026-27 NHL season. As a result, the television audio feed will air throughout the club’s radio network, including flagship station 97.1 The Fan in Columbus. Steve Mears will continue handling play-by-play, while former Blue Jacket Jody Shelley remains the color analyst. Additionally, radio listeners will now hear Shelley’s analysis, which has also appeared on TNT and Amazon Prime NHL broadcasts. Meanwhile, the club confirmed it didn’t renew the contract of longtime radio play-by-play announcer Bob McElligott after 17 seasons. In addition, Dylan Tyrer will remain part of the radio coverage as host.

What They Said: “Bob McElligott has made significant contributions to the Blue Jackets organization on the air and in the community over the past 17 years. Bob’s voice was at the heart of many of our club’s unforgettable moments. He helped shape memories that will live on for years to come. We sincerely thank him and wish him nothing but success moving forward.” -Columbus Blue Jackets Vice President of Business Intelligence & Broadcasting Marc Gregory

What Remains Unclear: The organization hasn’t finalized its television distribution plans for the upcoming season. Consequently, it’s unknown whether any additional broadcast changes could accompany the new simulcast model.

What It Means: The move aligns the Blue Jackets with a growing industry trend of using a single broadcast team across multiple platforms. It also gives radio listeners access to the same analysis and presentation television viewers receive while reducing the need for separate game broadcasts. At the same time, the departure of McElligott closes a lengthy chapter for the franchise after nearly two decades behind the microphone.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

ABC Lawyers: FCC Searched for Reasons to Target Network

Garrett Searight
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ABC Lawyers: FCC Searched for Reasons to Target Network

ABC is pushing back against the FCC in a new legal filing. The network argues regulators haven’t found legal grounds to target its stations.

What We Know: ABC’s attorneys contend the FCC has spent months trying to justify action against the company’s broadcast licenses without evidence supporting such a move. The filing argues the commission’s review has failed to uncover any basis for denying license renewals or initiating revocation proceedings. The dispute centers on the FCC’s authority to renew or revoke broadcast licenses, a process governed by longstanding federal standards. ABC’s lawyers maintain the commission can’t move forward simply because it wants additional scrutiny if the legal requirements for renewal have already been met. According to the filing, that effort has come up empty because the stations satisfy the statutory requirements for license renewal.

What They Said: “The FCC has spent the last 18 months searching for some pretext for revoking the Stations’ licenses. The Commission has found none, because the Stations easily meet the standard for license renewal — which under the law means that the Commission cannot revoke their licenses or order a hearing on their renewal applications.” -ABC lawyers in FCC filing

What Remains Unclear: It’s still unknown how the FCC will respond to ABC’s legal arguments or whether the commission will attempt to justify additional review. The timeline for resolving the license renewal proceedings also remains uncertain.

What It Means: The filing escalates an increasingly public dispute between a major broadcast network and its federal regulator. If ABC’s position prevails, it could reinforce the legal standards governing broadcast license renewals and make it more difficult for the FCC to pursue enforcement actions without substantial supporting evidence.

Kelly Sutton Launches Weekday Morning Show on WSM Radio

David Hill
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Kelly Sutton Launches Weekday Morning Show on WSM Radio

Kelly Sutton gets her own weekday morning show. WSM Radio debuts “The Kelly Sutton Show” on August 10.

What We Know: The show airs weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Nashville’s legendary WSM Radio. Charlie Mattos, a longtime WSM personality and Grand Ole Opry host, joins as producer and co-host. Additionally, WSM Studio Director Annie Ney partners with Sutton behind the microphone. Meanwhile, Amber Anderson—Sutton’s Amazon Music co-host—contributes segments regularly. The show will also stream across WSM’s social media platforms.

What They Said: Sutton expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity, saying she feels “truly honored to be entrusted with carrying on the incredible legacy of WSM Radio.” She reflected on her five years hosting “Coffee, Country & Cody,” calling it “one of the greatest privileges of my career.” Importantly, Sutton emphasized that the new show will deliver “laughter, great music, and genuine connection” each morning. WSM General Manager Eric Marcum praised Sutton’s “personality” and “genuine relationships with artists and fans,” noting the show continues WSM’s “long tradition of live, local programming.”

What Remains Unclear: The network hasn’t announced specific show format details. Additionally, details about the show’s music rotation strategy remain undisclosed. Furthermore, promotional plans beyond social media streaming haven’t been detailed yet.

What It Means: Sutton becomes the face of WSM’s morning drive time moving forward. The move strengthens Nashville’s radio landscape with established talent. Moreover, Sutton balances this role while hosting nationally syndicated “Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton,” Amazon Music’s “Country Heat Weekly,” and “The Nashville Show” on UK radio. Ultimately, this launch reinforces WSM’s commitment to live, local broadcasting over its storied 100-year legacy.

Andre Yancey Promoted to 102 JAMS Brand Manager Role

David Hill
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Andre Yancey Promoted to 102 JAMS Brand Manager Role

Audacy promoted Andre Yancey to Brand Manager at 102 JAMS (KRBQ-FM). He maintains his Assistant Brand Manager role at 94.7 The Block in New York.

What We Know Yancey brings over a decade of brand management expertise to the Bay Area station. The Bay Area native launched his radio career at KMEL street team. He eventually worked alongside the station’s legendary Morning Zoo. Then, in 2021, Yancey joined Audacy as Director of Morning Content Operations at WCBS-FM. He successfully relaunched the flagship morning program post-pandemic and helped establish 94.7 The Block as Audacy’s most-used urban streaming brand, earning consecutive Gracie Awards along the way.

What They Said Skip Dillard, Urban AC and Throwbacks Format Vice President at Audacy, emphasized Yancey’s local perspective. “As a Bay Area native, Andre understands what the community wants and needs,” Dillard noted. “We look forward to seeing how his creative instincts and acute eye for technology come together to elevate the brand.” Meanwhile, Yancey expressed gratitude for his opportunity. “Radio has been part of my life since childhood—a companion, a soundtrack, a way to feel connected,” he shared. “JAMS is a love letter to The Bay and its contribution to culture, and companionship and connection are what radio is truly about.”

What Remains Unclear The announcement doesn’t specify how Yancey will balance leadership at two Audacy stations simultaneously. Additionally, details about specific content strategy initiatives remain sparse. Furthermore, the timeline for implementing new programming changes hasn’t been disclosed. Finally, expectations for ratings growth or audience expansion targets were not mentioned.

What It Means This appointment signals Audacy’s commitment to elevating JAMS within the competitive Bay Area radio market. Moreover, Yancey’s dual-market expertise could strengthen both the San Francisco and New York urban formats. More importantly, his digital transformation background suggests potential for innovative streaming strategies. Ultimately, this move reflects Audacy’s confidence in developing internal talent across major markets.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.

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